Method of and apparatus for loosening and removing articles from molds



E. BLAKER Jan. 31, 1933.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LOOSENING AND REMOVING ARTICLES FROM MOLDS Filed April '7, 1932 Sheets-Sheet l JUL/5777b 552755 fE/EA'EE Jan. 31, 1933. E. BLAKER 1 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LOOSENING AND REMOVING ARTICLES FROM MOLDS Filed April 7, 1932 s'sheets-she t 2 E 5 FF a 5 m E Jan. 31, 1933. E. BLAKER 1,395,909

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LOOSENING AND REMOVING ARTICLES FROM MOLDS Filed April 7, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 31, 1933 umrao PArENro'FFic lF I ERNEST "BLAKER,

OF'AKRON, 01110, Assiivon T0, THE BIE. o'oDR-IcH COMIBANY, D110- nnw yonxn. Y;,, A conronArrroiv'or NEW Yonir m'rnon OF AND APPARATUS FUR LOOSENING-ANDJ REMOVING ARTIGLES Enoumotns hpplicationz filed .Apli1l7 1932:, Serial No. 603,713;

Thisiinvention. relates to a method of loosening and removing molded articles from their molds and is. especially usetul 1nv the manufacture of pneumatic tires or other flex- Kiblemoldedarticles,' q I i r The principal objects, ofthe. invention are to. provide for positive and automatic. loosening, of the article before lifting it from the mold and thereby to assist the article lifting mechanism and avoid excessive strains in the.

tire in the. same position, parts, being broken away and parts being shown insection.

Fig. 3, a detail view, partly in section, online 3.3 of Fig. 1 showing the means for providing yielding pressure to the swings frames. w

Fig. 4 is'a detail sectional View on line H of Fig... 2, showing: one of the discs deflecting the article from mold contacting relation.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1' butshowingthe tire being stripped from. the

mold during the progressive loosening of the tire from the mold, parts of the-mechanism being'broken away; o I g y 4Q Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5, some parts being shown insection and parts being broken away; r

, Referring-to the drawings, the numerals 10, 10" designate horizontalrail or frame members for supporting and guidingaplat form mold conveyor comprising a pair or spaced chain members having links 11, sup

porting cross slats "12, and rods 13' which carry antifriction rollers .14 which ride on the rails.'10,10'.

2 is a plan view of the same, with the.

slide throughpin 27. 1A collar 38 on IOd 37: carries a strap support. 39, which holids'the f The. conveyor extends from a loading Sta-- tion (:IlOt, shown) past a series. of vulcanizers (not.shown). .Frames15v support the, rails 10, 10 in spaced relation." i f Attached to the rails 10,107alongthe path of the conveyor'are frame. members. 16', 16 having vertical guideways machined therein.

A. crosshead IZ is sli'dably fitted to said.

guideways and is, provided'v-witli threaded" lugs .18., 1 8 whichextend into the guidewa-ys and engage vertical, screws 19, 19. Screws 19,19" are journaled in frames 16,;16'1and carry bevelgears 20,20 which mesh with pinions 21,, 21!, mounted on} a. shaft 22. Shaft- 22 is journaled in bearing brackets 23, 23"65.

mounted on frames 1,6, 16", and is provided with a handkwheel 24.- whereby it may be rotatedto adjust the crosseh ead 17 with re-.v spect to the conveyor. i

A. pair of vertically disposed shafts 25,25, are mounted in suitablel'ugs on cross-head 17. and providepivots for ajp'air of swing-frames 26, 26' hinged thereto. Each swingframe isprovided intermediate of its extent with bearings for receiving pins 27,127. A cylinj- 75,.

den 28 providedwith an 9 whichengages. one of said pins. A piston 30 mounted in the cylinder is. connected to a piston rod 31 whichhasl a knuckle 32 engaging the other rod; A flexible hose 33 from a,-source of fluid pressure (notshown) connects with the rod end of cylinder 28. The other end of the cylinder is ventedas at 34 to the atmosphere. Pressure fluid admitted to thecyl'inder causes theswi'ngirames to be ward each other. y g

In order to. limit the swingof. frames 26,

26., links 35, are each pivotedat one' end to a s wing, frame member-and at the other end are slotted to engage pins 36,36? on'crosshead 17 To prevent wearof the piston rod 31 and its stufiingibox, pins 27, 27f are cross bored toengage a guide rod 37Iwhich is. locked to pin 27 at one end and is free to rod end ofthecylin der. i o

Each of the swing frames 26, 26 is provided with vertical journal bearings at its outer extremityin which rotatablyi' l nou nt 10 g 7 yieldingly urged to- 85 ed a shaft such as shaft40. The'mechanism' supported and driven by each'shaft is alike and only one will be described.

A yoke made in halves 41, 42 is rotatably mounted on the lower extremity of shaft and supportsa pair ofvertieal 'shafts'43 and 44 journaled therein. Each of theseshafts '7 is provided with a gear 45 and 46, fixed thereon and" on its lower l-end carries :an article-,

deflectingand driving dis'c 47 and 48. A gear 49' is fixed on shaft 40 and intermediate 7 planetaryzgears 50 and 51 carried by the yoke each mesh with the gear 49 and one ofthe gears 45and 46, the arrangement being such that when the yoke 41 is prevented fromirotating on shaft-40, thediscs 47 48'willrbe driven by the shaft 40 and when the yoke41 is free to rotate with {shaft 40-the disc '47, 48 will no rotate.

'- A gear case 52 mounted on the swing frame j26 encloses a worm gea1352 sand worm. 54.

, Worm wheelj53 is mounted on a vertical shaft j'similar discs carried by swing frame 26". as 3 ndicated by thearrows 1nFig.'2. i

c 55 which is in line with and drives shaft 40. V l i 5 A11 electricmotor 56 mounted'on the swing" frame 26 drives worm 54through universal joints and 58 and, shaft 591 Thedirection of rotation ofthe discs47 and 48'carried by swing frame-726 m opposite tothat of'the .Mounted along the rails 10,10 is a second 8 pair ofstationary frame members 60, .60, sim- 'ilar to frame members 16,16 and having ver i tical guide ways machined therein. A car-5 riage 61 slidably mounted on the guidew'ays is adapted to be adjustedv vertically by screws 62 andis provided with bearings for supporting a horizontal shaft 63 Shaft 63 carries a; sprocket- 64. adapted to be drivenby a chain 65... A link66 has oneend journaled on shaft 63 and lits.otherend-providesa journal for the described gearing, drivesshaft 63 atlany position towhich-it maybe adjusted; I 5 Shaft'63is provided with apolygonal porasha ft67. Asecondlink 68has one end ournaled on shaft 67 andQthe other end j our: naled on a shaft 69 which is rotatably mount-,

tionf77 adapted to engage the leading marginal {or tread portion of thei'advancing ar-i tide [and j exert. a lifting .frictional engagee ment therewith; shaft .63 being rotated in a 5 clockwise direction.as-seen in'Figs; 1 and: 5.

c ;;A 'rollerl78 mounted on a shaft 79journ l'ed, in -r arriage 61 supports oneiend ofQa con- 7 i 1 yeyor belt 8 0 fwhichdelivers the-strippediarg Gross-head ticles away. A weightedroll 81 mounted on swinging arms 82 cooperates therewithtin starting the articles over the conveyor. Arms 82 are pivotally'mounted on a shaft 83 which is drivenfrom any convenient source of power, as by a motor 87, speed reducin gear.

88 and chain 89; and carriesasproc 'et' 84 which through a chain 85 and sprocket 86" drives roll 81 independent of its eleyation in.

respect to roll 78.

Y lhe discs 47 and 48are preferably provided 1 with article contactingfaces 9Q of naterial having a high frictional coeflicient with "respect to the article 9 1.v For this purpose the V faces 90 are preferablylmade of superim terial.

As the device hasbeen found to be especia'l -f' 1 I i posed layers of canvas belting or similar niw ly useful in removing tires from their mold ings as operating onsuch 'an article.

The operation'of the dev ce is as p p v followsi'l' The articles such as the tire'91 illustrated are shown as being partially enclosedbymold members 101 to which they are heldfidadh'ering relation the adhesion 'of' the rubber to the mold member; atmospheric pressure," and the interlocking of projecting "par'tsjof' the article. a Each tire and itsen'closing mold member has been depositedon the conve o and is traveling in the dire ction indicated by arrows in Fig. 1.

projecting "marginal portions or tread of the tir'ewithout contacting with the mold." Carridge 61 is similarly adjustedso that ha 63? I i V I will clear the r'nold and contact with 'th'egxl di I Current is supplied. tem -c mand yokes '41 being free'to rotate will-be rotated thereby,

l the yoke carried by swing frame 26' being'row ta'ted slowly in'ai clockwise direction in Fig;

2 and that carried by .swing'fra'me 26 being; slowly rotated in a counterclockwlse direction. "As atire reaches'simh a positioir as to p 17 is' adjus'ted to a position where the discs 47'; 48 will contac'twith the contact with a disc 4701 48*thesupporting V yoke is swung onv its axis until both discs 47 and 48 contact with the tread of the tire,

whereupon further rotation. of the .yoke,'eX'-' cept as permitted by the contour of the tire isprevented and practically; all rota'tive motion of shaft 40 is transmitted to discs 47 and 48 in 'sucha direction as to efiect a frictional driving of the tire in the direction it has beenj travelling. The yielding pressure appliedto I the discsbycylinder 28 causes the tireyto be. 7

deflected from themoldwalls along thelarea" of the tire contacted with by the dises, there-; 7

by progressively loosening the tire 'from the the discs contact with about two thirds'of mold whileeeeaing forward movement'of" -the'same.-.'-}

In the firstpositi'on ofic'ontactwiththe tire;

members, the apparatus is shown' in the drawj i 77 mangoes the leading half of the tread surface, but due to the fact that they rotate in such a direction as to urge the tire along the conveyor in the direction it has been travelling, no positive driving dogs are required to advance the tire.

At mid position the discs assume the relation to the tire'shown in Fig. 2 and when the tire has advanced far enough'to contact with the rotating bar 77' the discshave assumed the relation shown in Fig. 6 at which position stituting the tread of the tire, lifts that portion as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. The loosened portions along the sides enable the tire to be snapped from the mold and the leading side of the tire passes over the roll 78 where it is grabbed by the rolls 78 and 81 and pulled from the mold.

The mold passes on under the bar 77 as indicated in dot and dash lines in Figs. 5 and 6.

The loosening of the article in advance of contact with the stripping bar 77 assures positive operation of the stripping bar and the eliminationof driving dogs, made possible by the positive driving of the article-deflecting discs, increases production as it provides for closer spacing of the molds on the conveyor regardless of the size of the molds or of uniformity in the size of molds in a promiscuously arranged advancing line of molds. The elimination of driving dogs also makes it possible to convert existing conveyor apparatus at less expense. I

I claim:

1. Apparatus for removing a molded article from a mold member, said apparatus comprising a conveyor for advancing themold member, and means located along the path of the conveyor for progressively deflecting the marginal portions of the article from mold contact and simultaneously assisting the ad vancing of the article along the conveyor.

2. Apparatus for removinga molded article from a mold member, said apparatus comprising a conveyor for advancing the mold member, and means located along the path of the conveyor and laterally engaging the projecting marginal surface of the article to defleet the walls thereof from the walls of the mold and simultaneously efl'ect advancing of the article along the conveyor.

3. Apparatus for removing a molded article from a mold member, said apparatus comprising a conveyor for advancing the mold member, and a positively driven disc for engaging the exposed marginal surface of the article: to... deflect the articleifromnioldi con, V

tact and simultaneously-effectadvance there-- of along the conveyor.

' 4.1:A;pparatusfor'removingfiamolded are I,

clefrom a mold member, said apparatus com-- prising a conveyor-for advancing the moldmember, a plurality-of positively driven discs; for progressively engaging the exposed mar-- ginal surface: .off the article, and means: for

. pressing the; discs against the article.

Apparatusforremoving a molded arti cle from a mold membensaid apparatus: com prising a; conveyor for advancing the mold member, a positively driven di'se'locatedin the path of the articleand adapted teeng age v a leading portion-of the margina'l surface thereof and to advance the article by rolling Contact alongits margin, and" means-for maintaining sufiicient pressure on said disc'- at deflect the I article from ehemora easrollingmovement. v i 6-Appa ratus for removing a moldedar-' ticle from a mold member; said' a'pparatus area of contact with the disc 'tllli'tlghpllfkth comprising a 'conveyor" for advancingthe 1 mold member, a pair of rotatable yokemerm hers each having aplurality of rotatable article contacting discs mounted thereon,

means for positively driving said discs, and ylelding pressure means for holding said discs in the path of the article for progressive rolling contact with the marginal portion thereof whereby the article is progressively deflected from mold contact.

7. Apparatus for removing a molded article from a mold'member, said apparatus comprising a conveyor for advancing the mold member, a rotating stripper bar for engaging the leading marginal portion of'the article and lifting it from the mold member, and means for engaging the marginal walls of the article in. advance of its contact with i the stripping bar and progressively loosencomprising a. conveyor for advancing the moldmember, a rotating stripper bar for engaging the leading margin of the article and effecting a lifting motion thereto, and a plurality of laterally pressed rotating discs adapted to engage the marginal portions of the article and while positively driving the article toward said stripper bar to progressively loosen the articlefrom the mold member. a 1 V 9. Themethod of removinga molded ar-- ticle from a mold member which comprises advancing the mold along a determinate, path, progressively deflecting the article from mold contact by rolling pressure applied to its marginal walls, and stripping said article from the mold member by fric- Y :5 ticle from a mold niember which-comprises advancing the, mold--along a. determinate path, progressively: deflecting the article from' mold contact-by, lateral pressure; ep-

pliedto its walls, and stripping vthe loosened 1 10 article from the mold ;by applying a, fricv 7 tional lifting force-to the leading portionof its margin While applying an advancing force. directly to :the'artioleby frictional rolling engagement therewith; o

I I 16 11-. The method ofremoving a molded ti cle from a mold member Which comprises advancingthe mold along ;a; determinate path,v V progressively deflecting the article from. inoldcontact by. lateral pressure 'simuL;

zd tameouslyl epplied to opposite sides ofthe I l articledllring -itsadvancing movement, and "applying a lifting force to the leading'poriQ Q heimargin ofgthe article while simul- 'taneously'ap lying s ngularly ,directe'd'forces- V 2$ftothe trailingma-rglnthe resultant of which is directedtowardthe leading margin;

witness whereof I have hereunto set hand-this 21stday of March, 1932. t 

